Every Nike and Converse Sneaker Worn by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Published
You know how this fan of the 17-time NBA Champion and one-time NBA Cup Champion Los Angeles Lakers knows that Lakers Exceptionalism - an irrational confidence that no matter how bad the down years can get, good times are just around the corner - is very real? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an NBA Champion, Finals MVP, and reigning regular season MVP with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not the Los Angeles Clippers, the team that originally traded for Shai on draft night. In 2019, the Clippers traded the promising rookie and a bunch of first round draft picks (one of which became Jalen Williams) to the Thunder for Paul George. The move was applauded by every fan and analyst at the time because George was an MVP candidate teaming up with a two-time champion in Kawhi Leonard, not to mention that Nike was ecstatic at the prospect of having George in a major market with a signature shoe to sell.
Since then, Shai became, well, Shai; a bonafide championship superstar with a signature shoe (the Converse Shai 001) set to debut this week. The Lakers, who acquired Anthony Davis on the same day Shai left LA, won a championship* the following season in the Orlando bubble and the first NBA Cup a few years later. The Clippers, well, they’re the Clippers. Paul George saw his signature shoe end unceremoniously as his career in podcasting overshadowed his on-court production. Kawhi Leonard is still a great player, but his availability is always going to be a question. If the Clippers had somehow convinced Kawhi to come to the Clippers without having to trade Shai, Laker fans would have been in shambles until the Luka Doncic trade.
No matter if it’s in Oklahoma City or Los Angeles, Shai’s ascension was inevitable. The talent was always there; it just needed a few years to percolate. But what didn't take a few years to cook was his sense of style. From high school prospect to college backup to lottery pick, Shai never shied from the sneaker spotlight. Here’s a look back at his sneaker history leading up to the launch of the Converse Shai 001 in the debut Butter colorway.
High School Years
Stats (Senior Year): 18.4 PPG, 4.0 APG, 4.4 RPG
Notable Sneakers: Nike Kobe 10 iD Mambacolor, Nike Kyrie 2 The Academy, Nike KD Trey 5 IV
Shai’s high school era coincided with the apex of Nike Basketball. Kyrie Irving’s signature shoe line was hot out of the gate with the Nike Kyrie 1 and 2, Kobe Bryant had fully embraced Flyknit with Nike Kobe 9 Elite, and Kevin Durant was one blown 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals away from linking up with the juggernaut Golden State Warriors. A four-star prospect, Shai originally committed to Florida before switching up to Kentucky.
Team Canada U18
Stats: 7.8 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.0 RPG (won silver medal)
Notable Sneaker: Nike Kobe 10 Team Bank Red
The eventual leader of the Canadian National Team would begin his run during the FIBA U18 Championships in Chile while rocking some team bank Kobe 10s. Interestingly, his cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the tournament’s leading scorer and was also highly regarded as a top prospect at the time. Alexander-Walker currently plays for the Hawks.
Kentucky
Stats (Freshman Year): 14.4 PPG, 5.1 APG, 4.1 RPG
Notable Sneakers: Nike Kyrie 3 PE, Nike Kobe 10 PE, Nike LeBron 15 PE
Unlike other highly touted Kentucky freshman classes, Shai and his fellow first-year teammates didn’t exactly light Lexington on fire. Starting the season as a reserve, Shai would eventually work his way into the starting lineup. In his short time as a Wildcat, Shai got to rock some cool player exclusives, including the Kobe AD, which was Kobe Bryant’s first signature shoe post-retirement.
2018-19 - The Clipper Era
Stats: 10.8 PPG, 3.3 APG, 2.8 RPG
Accomplishments: All-NBA Rookie Second Team
Notable Sneakers: Nike Kobe AD Exodus, Nike Kyrie 4 Lucky Charms, Off-White CST-001
To further push the narrative of Lakers Exceptionalism, SGA was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, much like Kobe, and traded to Los Angeles, just like Kobe. But unlike Kobe, SGA would only stay in Los Angeles for one season. If SGA had stayed a Hornet, does he form the Zoomer version of Backcourt 2000 with LaMelo Ball a year later? If Kawhi Leonard’s signing with the Clippers was conditional on the team acquiring Paul George, would the Clippers have had enough assets to trade for Paul without SGA? It’s an underrated “what if” in NBA history. While his sneaker game continued the trend that began in high school with Kobes and Kyries, the signs of his off-court style was starting to bubble to the surface. One of his first off-court appearances as a member of the Clippers was attending a game between USC and Vanderbilt while wearing a pair of the Off-White CST-001.
2019-20 - Move to OKC and Converse
Stats: 19.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 5.9 RPG
Notable Sneakers: Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 ‘07 Complexcon, Nike Kobe 4 Protro Wizenard PE, Converse All-Star BB Evo
Year 2 would be a breakout year for SGA both on the court and on the sneaker side. Playing alongside the Point God Chris Paul, SGA would record some gaudy stats, including the first 20-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist triple-double since Russell Westbrook in the past 30 years. After starting the year in Kobes and Off-Whites, SGA would sign with Converse midway through the season as the brand began their comeback to the hardwood.
2020-21 - Injury Halts Progress
Stats: 23.7 PPG, 5.9 APG, 4.7 RPG
Notable Sneakers: Converse All-Star BB Evo, Converse All-Star Pro BB Evo
Injuries would derail both SGA and the Thunder, leading to a season where the team could only get to 22 wins. When he was on the court, SGA was able to improve in almost every statistical category. As for his first full season with Converse, this was when people started to see SGA’s creative side with plenty of exclusive colorways of the BB Evo in both regular and Pro varieties.
2021-22 - Style Icon
Stats: 24.5 PPG, 5.9 APG, 5.0 RPG
Notable Sneakers: Converse All-Star BB Evo, Converse All-Star BB Jet, Converse All-Star BB Shift
Much like the previous season, injuries would limit SGA’s progress. An ankle injury kept him from playing past March, but he did manage some cool milestones like his second career triple-double and his first NBA Player of the Week award. More player exclusives would dominate his sneaker run, but he would spread it out among the various models that he wore like the BB Jet and BB Shift. This was also the season that he started to branch out and gain recognition for his style away from the basketball diehards. It says a lot about GQ Sports scouting that they highlighted SGA as he was right on the cusp of stardom.
2022-23 - The Leap
Stats: 31.4 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.8 RPG
Accomplishments: NBA All-Star, All-NBA 1st Team
Notable Sneakers: Converse All-Star BB Prototype CX
Anybody who invested in Shai’s rookie cards got their payoff this season as a healthy SGA became an All-Star for the first time in his career. Even though the Thunder finished with a not-so-hot 40 wins and missed the playoffs, SGA would earn another huge achievement with his inaugural selection to the All-NBA First Team. The BB Prototype CX was SGA’s sneaker of choice for much of the season, with the Thunder and Lightning colorway getting the nod for the All-Star Game. Released to mostly positive reviews from hoopers, the performance and unique look of the shoe would set the stage for what’s to come with SGA and the Converse.
2023 FIBA World Cup
Stats: 24.5 PPG, 6.4 APG, 6.4 RPG
Accomplishments: 3rd Place (Bronze Medal), All-Tournament Team
Notable Sneaker: Converse All Star BB Trilliant CX
For the first time in their history, Canada’s National Team was able to bring home a medal in the FIBA World Cup. For SGA to be the lead player for that team and to beat Team USA en route to that medal made it all the more sweet for SGA. Continuing the trend he started the prior NBA season of rocking Converse's top-of-the-line basketball model, SGA would wear the Trilliant CX as everybody awaited what was next for himself and the brand.
2023-24 - Best in the West
Stats: 30.1 PPG, 6.4 APG, 5.0 RPG
Accomplishments: NBA All-Star, All-NBA 1st Team, NBA MVP Runner-Up
Notables Sneakers: Converse All Star BB Trilliant CX, Converse Weapon
As the face of the brand, Converse tapped SGA to help bring back the iconic Converse Weapon. While there were reports that his contract was coming up, few believed that SGA would actually move to another brand, despite what Shaquille O’Neal wants everyone to believe while he was promoting his Reebok reality show with Netflix. With a strong supporting cast of young players that progressed ahead of schedule, it wasn’t just SGA who was making huge strides. A year after missing the playoffs, SGA would lead the Thunder to the best record in the Western Conference and their first trip to the second round of the playoffs since the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook era. He would also earn another All-Star and All-NBA 1st Team selection and finish second in the MVP voting. The Thunder were knocking on the door of the league’s elite and it was only a matter of time.
2024 Olympics - Failed Side Quest
Stats: 21 PPG, 4.3 APG, 4.0 RPG
Accomplishments: All-Tournament 2nd Team
Notable Sneaker: Converse All-Star BB Trilliant CX
Unable to replicate the success of the summer prior, SGA and Team Canada failed to secure a medal this time around. Unlike the World Cup where SGA rocked the white and red colorway of the Trilliant, he went against the grain and wore a pink colorway that technically did not match the team nor the country’s colors even though pink is a combination of white and red. Could SGA’s inability to medal affect his psyche going into the new season?
2024-25 - Champs Are Here
Stats: 32.7 PPG, 6.4 APG, 5.0 RPG
Accomplishments: NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP, NBA MVP, Scoring Champion, NBA All-Star, All-NBA First Team
Notable Sneaker: Converse Shai 001
Nevermind, the Thunder won the championship in convincing fashion, potentially setting up a dynastic run that could last for a while. SGA punctuated his dominance of the league with the debut of his signature shoe, the Converse Shai 001. The newly minted Creative Director of Converse Basketball made the most of his re-signing with the brand, unveiling a design that speaks to his sense of style. Unveiled during NBA All-Star Weekend, the Shai 001 has had an extended hype cycle for people to get familiar with the silhouette all the way to the NBA Finals. The timing of the shoe’s reveal is not unlike what Steph Curry and Under Armour experienced a decade ago with the UA Curry One as Steph won his first championship with his first signature product.
From video game journalism to veteran of the sneaker blog era to podcasting about well, everything, Juan is smiling through it all and can't believe this is his life. After recently getting into Formula 1, he now has hot takes about who the greatest driver of all time is. Email: juan@soleretriever.com
